Portal

Ten of us went on the “Get-Away” to the Portal/Cave Creek area. The ten were George & Maria Wall, Steve and MaryAnn Hovan, Donna Smith, Nancy Reed, Marge Eckman, Helayne Aranguena, Jane McNeil and our leader Chuck Kangas. We did stop on the way at the Wilcox birding area and one carload stopped on the way back at St. David’s Monastery. Several of used stayed at the Cave Creek Ranch and the others at the motel at the Portal Store.

Here’s a breakdown of the birds seen on the entire trip although not by all:

Wilcox: Eared Grebe, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Common Merganser, Great Blue Heron, White-faed Ibis, Harris’s Hawk, American Kestrel, Loggerhead Shrike, American Coot, Wilson’s Phalarope, Killdeer, Western Kingbird, Chihuahuan Raven and Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

Portal/Cave Creek: Turkey Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Prairie Falcon, Gambel’s Quail, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Elf Owl calling, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Blue-throated Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Lucifer’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, Black Phoebe, Greater Pewee, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin’s Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Bendires Thrasher, Western Scrub-Jay, Mexican Jay, Stellar’s Jay, Plumbeous Vireo, Phainopepla, Cedar Waxwing, White-breasted Nuthatch, Bewick’s Wren, Bridled Titmouse, House Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch, Pine Grosbeak, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (both “Oregon” & “Gray” types), Yellow-eyed Junco, Chipping Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Canyon Towhee, Northern Cardinal, Pyrrhuloxia, Lazuli Bunting, Hooded Oriole, Bullock’s Oriole and Scott’s Oriole.

St. David’s Monastery: Gray Hawk on a nest, Summer Tanager, Verdin, Red-winged Blackbird, Barn Swallow, and Bush Tits.